Wrist watch protector



March 14, 1944. H. v. DRESSEN WRIST WATCH PROTECTOR Filed Feb. 22, 1945 m T. @m mm M V w W H i v s Patented Mar. 14, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WRIST WATCH PROTECTOR Harold V. Dressen, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application February 22, 1943, Serial No. 476,791

Claims.

This invention relates to a wrist watch protector.

This invention provides an article which is utilizable to protect a wrist watch while being worn from being injured by the entrance of dirt or moisture and also safeguards the watch against being defaced or broken.

It is especially serviceable to men and women employed in manufacturing plants where short sleeved garments are usually worn thus leaving wrist watches exposed to the entrance of dirt and to being scratched or otherwise injured. This is particularly true at the present time when such large numbers of people are engaged in war plant activities.

This wrist watch protector is also very useful to soldiers, whose wrist watches are often exposed to rainy weather and who, when on night duty are safeguarded by reason of the protector preventing any glare from the face of the watch being observed by the enemy.

Among the objects of the invention are: to provide a wrist watch protector which can be more quickly applied to the wrist of the user; one which will be more comfortable to wear; which is of a more sanitary character; one which can be manufactured more cheaply than other devices of its kind, considering its efficient functioning.

A further and more specific object is to utilize in a more advantageous manner, a pair of endless elastic cords to maintain the device in the applied position.

Still other objects and advantages pertain to the gentle, non-wear contact of the applied device with the wrist watch which it protects; to protect certain types of watch carrying bands from being released by blows against their latching elements; and to render the applied device more comfortable to the wearer by reason of limiting the gripping area thereof to a narrow line of pressure along each of itsedges.

Yet other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which lustrates what is at present deemed to be a pre-- ferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. l is a perspective viewof the device, showing it in place upon the wrist of the wearer, the protected wrist watch being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the protector per se.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional detail thereof the plane of section being indicated by the line 33 on Fig. 2, a portion of the structure located below the line of section being broken away.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the wristlet band 5 therein shown is desirably made of a nonelastic material, for example'chamois skin or of some other leather or leather-like flexible but nearly inelastic material of a pliable, rather thin character. Each of the long edges of this band is provided with an inturned selvage strip 6 which forms an enlarged pocket that incloses an endless elastic cord 1 and has running through and along its extreme edge portions a row of stitches 8 whereby it is securely fastened down to the body portion of the wristlet. Said row of stitches is sufficiently spaced away from the hold line of the selvage strip to allow an adequate space for the contained elastic cord.

In its midlength portion 9 the wristlet band is shown broadened so as to furnish it at each side with an outswelled portion l0, thus providing in this part of the article an additional space-to receive the wrist watch ll.

In Fig. 2, where the wristlet is shown in a slightly expanded condition, a small section of each of the two elastic bands I is visible between the adjacent ends of the band 5, one end of said band'having exteriorly attached to it the male member l3 of a two-part clasp, while the other end portion of said band is furnished with a rounded end extension or lip l4 which has interiorly attached to it the female member [5 of the clasp. That end of the band to which the male member is shown attached in Fig. 2 terminates in a substantially straight, transversely extending edge.

In Fig. 2 the band 5 and elastic cords 1 are shown normally contracted to at least as small a size as these parts will assume after the device has been applied. The cords I will be stretched preparatory to slipping the device over the hand and then back upon the wrist, thus allowing the cords to contract so that the two parts of the clasp may be sprung together in the usual manner.

When the device is in the applied position with its broadened part 9 in an overlying'relation to the wrist watch, each of the elastic cords acts in a puckering as well as a ripping manner upon said broadened portion of the band, owing to the fact that each bulged portion of the band projects out beyond the plane of that side of the band which it occupies. This construction not only tends to enlarge the recess in which the watch is housed, but also it facilitates inspection of the watch by rendering it easier for the wearer to turn back one or the otherof the outswelled parts of the applied band to momentarily uncover a suflicient amount of the face of the watch to note the time. A still further advantage in this connection resides in the fact that it causes the cords to draw the outswelled band edge portions more snugly inwardly and downwardly next to the watch, thus more efiiciently protecting it from dirt and moisture.

In applying the device to the wrist of the user it is first diametrically expanded by internal pressure of the fingers of one hand preparatory to passing it over the other hand and then moving it back over the wrist of the latter hand into an encircling relation to the wrist watch and its attaching band.

Owing to the fact that the rows of stitches cincide with the contour of the edges of the watch together with the band whereby it is attached, the predetermined tension of said cords causes the elongated pockets wherein they are contained to dip inwardly along their edges over the edges of the watch-attaching band with a snug contact, At the same time, the contractile force of the cords brings the split end portions of the band 5 into contlguity so that the male and female fastening elements are properly positioned for connection with each other. Hence it will be seen that there is little, if any, pressure exerted on the flesh of the wearer, but this inward dipping of the pocketed areas causes the tensional force of the cords to be directed inwardly toward the edges of the band, rather than against the flesh of the person wearing the band, making the band much more comfortable to wear.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the subject matter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. Inv a wrist watch protector, a transversely split wrist band having along each of its opposite edges an inwardly directed selvage strip which is stitched to the body portion of the band by a line of stitching in a spaced relation to the juncture of said salvage. strip with. the band and which when the ends of the band at the split end thereof are brought into juxtaposition forms an elongated continuous pocket along each side edge of said strap, and a pair of elastic cords extending lengthwise of said band, one of said cords being enclosed by each of said stitched selvage strips,

the predetermined tension of said elastic cords causing the elongated pockets wherein they are contained to dip inwardly along their edges over the edges of the watch attaching band with a snug fit.

2'. The subject matter of claim 1, and said band having attached to one: ofv its end portions the male member of a fastening element and having attached to the other of its end portions the female member of a fastening element, said fastening elements being fastenable when the ends of said pockets are brought into a contiguous relation in the fully applied position of the band.

3. In a wrist watch protector, a transversely split wristlet band, each of the long edges of said band being provided with an inturned stitched selvage strip which when the ends of the band at the split thereof are brought into juxtaposition forms an elongated continuous pocket along each side edge of said strip, an endless elastic cord loosely occupying each of said pockets and extensible at said split whereby the wristlet band may be extended over the hand into an overly relation to a wrist watch attachment encirclin the wrist of such hand, one end of the body portion of the band adjacent to its split between the terminus of said pockets being rounded to form a lip to overlie the opposite end of the band to which said one end is mated, a fastening element carried by said lip and another fastening element carried by the opposite end of said band, said fastening elements being fastenable when the ends of each of said pockets are brought into an abutting relation in the fully applied position of said band.

4. The subject matter of claim 3, and said band being outswelled in at least one edge portion thereof to house the wrist watch of said wrist watch attachment, said pockets being constructed to embrace the edges of said wrist watch attachment.

5. In a wrist watch protector, a transversely split wristlet band, each of the long edges of said band being provided with an inturned selvage strip which has running through and along its extreme edge portions a row of stitching whereby when the ends of the band at the split end thereof are brought into juxtaposition forms an elon gated continuous pocket along each side edge of said strip, and an endless extensible elastic cord loosely occupying each of said pockets whereby the wristlet band may be extended over the hand into an overlying relation to a wrist watch at tachment encircling the wrist of such hand, said stitching being suificiently spaced away from the hold line of the selvage strip to allow an adequate space for the contained elastic cord, said stitching coinciding with the contour of the edges of both the wrist watch and band whereby the predetermined tension of said elastic cords causes the elongated pockets wherein they are contained to dip inwardly along their edges over the edges of the watch and its attaching band with a snug contact.

6. The subject matter of claim 5, and one end of the body portion of the band adjacent to its split between the terminus of said pockets being rounded to form a lip to overlie the opposite end of the band to which said one end is mated.

7. The subject matter of claim 5, and one end of the body portion of the band adjacent to its split between the terminus of said pockets being rounded to form a lip to overlie the opposite end of the band to which said one end is mated, a fastening element carried by said lip and another fastening element carried by the opposite end of said band.

8. The subject matter of claim 5, and one end of the body portion of the band adjacent to its split between the terminus of said pockets being rounded to form a lip to overlie the opposite end of the band to which said one end is mated, a fastening element carried by said lip and another fastening element carried by the opposite end of said band, said fastening elements being fastenable when the ends of each of said pockets are brought into an abutting relation in the fully applied position of said band.

9. In a protecting cover member, a transversely split band, each of the long edges of said band being provided with an inturned stitched selvage strip which when the ends of the band at the split thereof are brought into juxtaposition forms an elongated continuous pocket along each side edge of said strip, an endless elastic cord loosely occupying each of said pockets and extensible at said split, one end of the body portion of the band adjacent to its split between the terminus of said pockets being rounded to form a lip to overlie the opposite end of the band to which said one end is mated, a fastening element carried by said lip, and another fastening element carried by the opposite end of said band.

10. In a wrist watch protector, a transversely split wrist band having along each of its opposite edges an inwardly directed selvage strip which is stitched to the body portion of the band by a line of stitching in a spaced relation to the juncture of said selvage strip with the band, and a pair of elastic cords extending lengthwise of said hand, one of said cords being enclosed by each of said stitched selvage strips, the predetermined tension of said elastic cords causing the elongated pockets wherein they are contained to dip inwardly and downwardly along their edges over the edges of the watch attaching band with a snug fit, said selvage strips forming walls of elongated pockets, said cords being endless and being loosely contained within said pockets, said stitching coinciding with the contour of the edges of both the Wrist watch and its band, said stitching being suificiently spaced away from th hold line of the selvage trip to allow adequate space for the contained elastic cords to act as a puckering as well as a. gripping medium in the area adjacent the wrist watch proper.

HAROLD V. DRESSEN. 

